Mumbai Diary: Tuesday Dossier

Charmer of a SnakeAhead of the festival of Nag Panchami July 29 artist Vinayak Dahitule applies final touches to a snake idol at LalbaugSwim till dawnParticipants prepare for the event Pic CourtesyMSSThe Mumbai Sea Swimmersrsquo MSS annual event of Dusk To Dawn might as well change its name ldquoWell it has almost become Dusk to Duskrdquo laughed cofounder Minesh Babla sharing that the event to be held in September in Dombivli will now take place over a complete day ldquoThis is a 24hour version The interesting part is that there are more swimmers participating in the longer endurance events than ever beforerdquo he added The session will also have Rupali Repale mdash the youngest swimmer to cross the English Channel in 1994 mdash joining in with her swim academy to oversee proceedings With 12 swimmers attempting to swim for 12 hours and over 100 participants already the event has attracted its largest crowd ldquoIt is comforting to know that the suburbs have started taking endurance swimming seriouslyrdquo revealed BablaDesert sounds in the Maximum CityFrom left Sadik Khan Asin Khan Tarini Tripathi kneeling and Zakir Khan in performanceEver heard the sarangi in a duet with the saxophone You might have a rare opportunity to do so on August 8 when the trio of SAZ Sadiq Asin and Zakir Khan return to Mumbai for a performance of SAZ and Friends When the Desert Plays Hosted by Avid Learning along with Jodhpur RIFF the performances are part of the showcase commissioned by the Mehrangarh Museum Trust JodhpurRhys Sebastian Pics CourtesyJodhpur RIFF OIJO InstagramThe trip will open the evening with RangeThar followed by Inayat A Duet for Four mdash a collaboration with Kathak danseuse Tarini Tripathirsquos Kathak adding texture to Rajasthani folk songs and Sufi kalaams The finale will arrive with another Jodhpur RIFF commission Mumbaibased saxophonist Rhys Sebastian teaming up with the trio in a performance titled The Cool Desert ProjectldquoSAZ have emerged through Jodhpur RIFF as a brilliant trio And their commissioned collaborations with Tarini Tripathi kathak and Rhys Sebastian jazz have proven to be very very successful When enjoyed together with SAZrsquos own traditional original work the three performances are thrilling and reflect the spirit of collaboration the festivalrsquos willingness to present music across genres and our commitment as a platform to positively impacting the livelihood of Rajasthani folk artistsrdquo shared Divya Bhatia above inset festival director Jodhpur RIFFHop skip and jump to fitnessA moment from the skipping session at Carter Road last Sunday Pic CourtesySkip Revolution ClubIf you have noticed quite a few youngsters armed with ropes at Carter Road in recent weekends worry not They are the latest in a long line of fitness enthusiasts who make the promenade their hub Chetan Tambe cofounder The Skip Revolution Club said ldquoI would often go to the promenade and shoot my videos I noticed there are multiple running groups But running in this city comes with its own issues From pollution to broken down pathways and the weather can be a challenge The solution Tambe found was in skippingldquoIt is a fun interactive way to build mobility and is scientifically proven to improve your cardiovascular health It can also be applied to people across age groupsrdquo shared the Jogeshwariresident Though the group started as an informal gathering the response over the last few weeks has prompted them to start registrations Those looking to join in can head to skip_revolution_club on Instagram for more detailsOnce upon a mysteryReaders buried in books at the Vile Parle spaceA bookshop and reading room in Vile Parle is hosting a special session for mystery lovers Book Garden is hosting a bringyourown book public reading session called Cozy Mysteries an idea initiated by Anika Bhuta a regular at the reading space ldquoThe basic idea is for people to bring in books that fit the genre of cosy mysteries discuss their favourite part in those books what made them pick that book and why they prefer that genrerdquo Tanmayee Thakur founder Book Garden told this diarist With the session already housefull keep your eye on book_garden_ for future eventsNow in brailleVisuallyimpaired readers access an edition of the magazineThere will be stories galore for Mumbairsquos braille readers this month Citybased monthly braille magazine White Print will soon expand its content pool with some help from wellwishers and volunteers ldquoSince we are a small team itrsquos difficult to hire fulltime writers Thatrsquos when we turn to authors who wish to see their writings reach new audiences with visual impairment The city has been kind with its sustained contributions now we look to build on itrdquo shared founder Upasana Makati right Those keen to submit their stories can reach out to her at whiteprintin for details